Vehicle-wheel.



T. RHODUS.

WHEEL.

D NOV; 1. I915.

VEHiCLE APPLICATION FILE Patented Oct. 31,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

T. RHODUS.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION man NOV-1,1915.

- ran srile-r les PAIENI anion-9 THOMAS nrronus, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIonoRTo CHARLOTTE" o. nHoDUs, or

- CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VEHICLE-WHEEL;

moanso. specifi i n f Lettersratent. Patented oct'. 31, 19 16; Application filed November 1, 1915. Seria1-No.'58,956.

Te a ll o iiomma cancem: I spoke's'con'stitute the innermember or cen- Be it lmoi'vn that 1,, THOMAS RrrooU's, a, ter. of the wheel, and with which the outer citiz'enofthe-United States of America, and and annular tread member 3 is resiliently" aresident' of Chicago, in the county of Cook,- associated in manner hereinafter described;

5 State of'Illinois,' have-invented certain new" to forin the completed wheel. structure. 60 and us'efi'il' lmprov'enients in Vehicle The tread memberS may'be of -anv usual Wheels; of which thefollowingis a speciand suitable formation but is preferably." fication. formed in sections, 7 in manner now to be This invention? relates mum? class of described. 7 j y 4 10 resilient wheels forv'ehi clesin which the 3 designates'a plurality of sector shape": 65 annular tread member is yieldingly' conblocks or sections formed of any usual and necte'd' to" the Wheel center by a series of suitable wear-resisting materialrwiththeirintermediatesprings And the present Mr abutting facespreferablyformed on lines provement has for itsobje'ctto provide" a" radial with theaxis-of-the wheel structure-,- simple and efficient structural formation'an'd so that when connected together by a pair 70 association of parts inkawheel of the type of connecting rings 4; at their opposite described, wherebythe varying impacts to sides, an annular tread structureis formed which the wheel tread is exposed in actual which is adapted to resist distortion from" a use upon rough roadways is transmitted to normal circular form under varying stresses and absorbed by the springs in an even and. met with in actual use. 75 effective manner, with an avoidance of a 5 designate circumferential recesses or transference of such impacts to the wheel grooves formed in the opposite sides of the center andthe vehicle parts carried thereon. tread member 3 for the reception of the con Another object is to provide means for necting rings 4, above referred to, and the tightening and holding together the series forin'of the recesses 5 will preferably cor- 80 of sector shaped blocks comprising the anrespond with the cross-section of the connular tread portion of the wheel structure, nection rings 4. In the preferred form of and in connection therewith provide subthe present invention said recesses 5 will 7 stantial inner abutments for the series of be of a triangular form in a-transverse diresilient members of suchstructure. rection, as shown in Figs. 2, v3 and5, to 5 Still another object is to providea simple correspond with the angular form in crossand eflicient formation of the individual section of the preferred form of the conblocks com-prising the annular tread por-, I necting rings 4. V tion oftlie wheel structure v adaptingsaid 6 designates guide recesses formed rnid-. 3 blocks for effective resilient connection to way the width of some of the sector shaped eo the" center portion' 'of suchwlieel structure. tread blocks 3 aforesaid,- and preferably in All as will hereinafter'moref fully ap'pearL' the contactinglfaces of two adjacent blocks; In the accom anyi drawings, Figure 1, so that the individual recess in one blockin is'a'n elevation, illustrating the general ar connection with the like individual recess 4%) rangenient of parts in the present wheel inan adjacent block will constitute-a single ea 7 structure. F ig'. 2, is an enlarged detail guide recess for the :outer end of one of the transverse section online w'w, F igQ 1. Fig; flexible spokes 2, hereinafter described in 3, isa detail perspective view of'one of the detail. blocks comprising. the annular wheel tread. The construction of the sectional tread" 4 *"Figs4, 5 and 6, are detail transverse secmember so far described is shown and-10o tions of modified formations and associaclaimed in my companion applicationfor tions of parts. Fig 7, is a detail section patent Serial No. 58,955, and no broad claim on line wm,.Fig. 6. is made thereto in thiscase. Similar reference numerals indicate like 7 'des1gnate pairs of radially arranged; V parts in theseveral vviews. spring containing recesses formed in" the 105 Referringlto the drawings, 1 designates" width of the tread member 3 in adjacent a wheel hub'of any. usual form, and 2 a relation to the guide recesses 6 above de-' series of flexible spokes secured at their inscribed. I Said recesses are preferably 1 nerends to said hub and preferably formedqfo'rmed in the contacting faces of adjacent "orflarbareorspriag' metal. 'saiahabana tread blocks 3 in manner similar to that llo above described in connection with the guide recesses 6.

In the preferred type of the present wheel structure shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the pair of laterally alined connecting rings 4 aforesaid, are of an angular form in cross-section and have inclined inner bearing faces formed by the inner edges of the two component and angularly disposed webs of the respective rings 4. Said inclined inner faces of the rings e, have bearing against the outwardly disposed inclined faces of the circumferential recesses 5 of the sectional tread member 3, and the arrangement is such that as said pair of rings 4: are drawn toward each other, by means hereinafter described the inclined formation above described, will a to draw the series of tread blocks toward. the axis of the wheel-structure and thus bind the series of blocks together into rigid annular body.

8 designate a plurality of transverse adjusting bolts passing preferably through suitably formed orifices in the connecting rings land adjacent tread blocks 3 and adapted in their adjustment to draw the rings l together in the manner and for the purpose above stated.

9 designate pairs of compression springs arranged in the radial spring receiving recesses above described, with their inner ends adapted to have bearing upon theperimeters of the respective connecting rings l aforesaid, and said springs are preferably provided. with hearing washers 10 at their outer ends as shown.

In the preferred form of the wheel structure shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, the outer ends of the flexible spokes 2 are ar: anged in the above described series of guide recesses 6 formed between adjacent pairs of the tread blocks 8 to afford an eflective guiding means for the outer ends of said spokes in their independent radial movement in actual use.

11 desi 'nate laterally extending prongs or bracket lugs forming a part of, or fixedly attached to the outer ends of the series of flexible spokes 2 aforesaid, and having bearing engagement, preferably through the washers l0 aforesaid, with the outer ends of the series of springs 9, and to such end said prongs 11, will have inwardly extending lugs 12, adapted to engage in central orifices in the washers 10, as illustrated in Figs. 2, 4:, 5 and 6.

13 designate laterally expanded outer portions of the recesses or grooves 6 aforesaid,

for the movement of the lateral prongs 11 of the spokes 2, above described.

In the modified structure shown in Fi 5, the single compression spring 9 is employed, and the outer end of each spoke 2,

will have a yoke form adapted to embrace.

the spring with the outer end of said yoke in bearing engagement with the outer end of said spring as shown. In this modified structure the means for tightening the annular series of tread blocks 3 is dispensed with and the periinetrical. flanges of the confining rings 4 have engagement in correspondingly formed annular grooves 5 in the opposite sides of the tread member 3.

In the modified structure shown in Fig. 5, duplicate springs 9 similar to the springs 9 of the preferred structure before described, are disposed wholly inside of the wheel tread 3 and are supported in spaced relation thereto by means of radial I shaped stirrups 1d, the outer transverse members 1% of which rest upon the pair of confining ringset, while the inner transverse membore 145 provide hearings or abutments for the inner ends of the springs 9" aforesaid. In such modified construction, the laterally extending prongs or bracket lugs 11 of the spokes 2 are also arranged inside the tread member Sand have bearing upon the outer ends of the springs 9 as shown.

The modified structure shown in Figs. 6 and 7, is intended to illustrate the application of the present invention to a wheel tread 3 of a continuous nature, as distin guished from the sectional block structure abovedescribed. Said modified structure comprises the formation of the spring receiving recesses 7 as open sided cavities in the respective sides of the tread member 3, with open sides of said cavities closed by a pair of laterally alined confining rings 4" bolted in place, and by which the wheel tread 3 is reinforced. The other parts or elements of said modified structure is substantially the same as that described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2. 7

In the present improvement, the tendency of the rigid circular tread portion 3 to move into eccentric relation to the. wheel center and hub, under the varied stresses met with in actual use, is mainly resisted by the pair of springs 9 above the hub and nearest in line with the direction of said stress and movement of the wheel tread in relation to the wheel center and such resistance is aided more or less by the springs higher than the Wheel center and next adjacent to the said pair of springs which are in direct alinement.

Having thus fully described my said invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by- Letters Patent, is

1. In a Wheel, the combination of a hub, a series of flexible spokes carried by said hub and provided with spring engaging means near their outer ends, an annular tread member comprising a series of sector shaped blocks and a pair of laterally alined connecting rings secured to the sides of said series of blocks, said tread member having spring holding recesses and guide grooves formed in abutting faces of said blocks, and a series of springs arranged in the holding recesses aforesaid with their outer ends in bearing engagement with the spring engaging means of the spokes aforesaid, substantially as set forth.

2. In a wheel, the combination of a hub, a series of flexible spokes carried by said hub and provided with lateral spring engaging prongs near their outer ends, an annular tread member comprising a series of sector shaped blocks and a pair of laterally alin'ed connecting rings secured to the sides of said series of blocks, said tread member having spring holding recesses and guide grooves formed in abutting faces of said blocks, and individual pairs of laterally alined springs arranged in the spring holding recesses aforesaid with their outer ends in bearing engagement with the lateral spoke prongs aforesaid, substantially as set forth.

3. In a wheel, the combination of a hub, a series of flexible spokes carried by said hub and provided with spring engaging means near their outer ends, an annular tread member comprising a series of sector shaped blocks and a pair of laterally alined connecting rings secured to the sides of said series of blocks, means for exerting an inward binding stress on said series of blocks, and a series of individual springs associated with said tread member with their outer ends in bearing engagement with the aforesaid spring engaging means of the spokes, substantially as set forth.

4. In a wheeh'the combination of a hub, a series of flexible spokes carried by saidhub and provided with spring engaging means near their outer ends, an annular topics at this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the tread member comprising a series of sector shaped blocks formed with circumferential recesses in their opposite sides, connecting rings engaging in'said recesses, and a series of individual springs associated with said tread member with their outer ends in bearing engagement with the aforesaid spring engaging means of the spokes, substantially as set forth.

5. In a wheel, the combination of a hub, a series of flexible spokes carried by said hub and provided with spring engaging means near theiioute'r ends, an annular tread member comprising a series of sector shaped blocks formed with circumferential recesses of a triangular form in their opposite sides, connecting rings of a triangular form in cross-section engaging in said recesses, transverse adjusting bolts passing through said rings and blocks, and a series of individual springs associated with said tread member with their outer ends in bearing engagement with the aforesaid spring engagmg means of the spokes, substantially as set forth.

6. In a wheel, the combination of a wheel center, a series of engaging means carried by said wheel center, an annular tread member comprising a series of blocks and a pair of laterally alined holding rings secured to said blocks, and a series of individual resilient members associated with said tread member with their outer portions adapted to have bearing engagement with the aforesaid engaging means, substantially as set forth.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois,

this 29th day of October, 1915.

THOMAS RHODUS.

"Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

